Posted here, too.

There have been a number of mentions of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) for Terri Schiavo in the media and on Free Republic, some of it quite disparaging due to the so-called “experimental nature” of HBOT. I believe that some of the disparaging comments are due to the lack of familiarity with HBOT. As a rehab professional (Occupational Therapist) working with people having all types of orthopedic, musculoskeletal and neurological injuries, I am always interested in learning about medical and/or rehab treatment techniques that can positively impact my patients’ lives. I took it upon myself to become more knowledgeable about HBOT so that I could objectively evaluate this treatment technique. Please note that when it comes to new and/or “out of the mainstream” medical treatments, I am the BIGGEST skeptic. That said, I believe that HBOT has very good potential to help people with acute or chronic neurological problems – not a cure-all by any means, but indeed a treatment technique that should be considered for Terri and others like her. At worst it is a benign treatment. At best - well, check out some of the links that follow.

I have a friend who is an RN with a specialty in intensive care who runs a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy program in a metropolitan hospital. He was able to provide me with a wealth of information on HBOT, including the “off label” uses of HBOT, including treatment of traumatic brain injury (like Terri).

The following background information was gathered from the Hyperbaric Healing Institute.

What is HBOT?

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a method of administering pure oxygen at greater than atmospheric pressure to a patient in order to improve or correct conditions. By providing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber we are able to deliver 10-15 times more oxygen then if delivered at sea level or at normal atmospheric levels. Some of the effects this has are to promote the growth of new blood vessels, decreases swelling and inflammation, deactivates toxins, increase the body’s ability to fight infections, clears out toxins and metabolic waste products, and improve the rate of healing. HBOT should be used to compliment conventional therapies and treatments.

HBOT is very cost effective.

HBOT is safe.

HBOT is noninvasive.

HBOT works well with other treatments.

For years, conventional medicine thought of HBOT only as a treatment for decompression sickness, however, the use of HBOT is becoming increasingly common in general practice as more doctors become acquainted with new applications. Doctors now realize that HBOT has other uses, including the treatment of non-healing wounds, Carbon Monoxide poisoning, various infections, damage caused by radiation treatments, near- drowning, near-hanging, brain and nerve disorders, cardiovascular disorders; and some digestive system disorders. Unfortunately, in the US there are currently 13 approved indications for HBOT that hospitals will treat.

While most programs limit their hyperbaric treatment protocols to only those 13 indications that are reimbursed by federally funded programs, Hyperbaric Healing Institute’s treatment protocols encompass all indications that have proven beneficial effects. There are approximately 66 applications that have been noted to receive benefit from HBOT, including:

Stroke - There are 1.7 million stroke survivors in this country: survivors who often suffer devastating consequences such as paralysis, a life in a wheelchair, impairments in speech and thought. They could tremendously benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Since the early 1970’s, scientific journals have reported over 1,000 cases demonstrating a 40-100% rate of improvement for stroke patients treated with HBOT.

Traumatic Brain Injury - According to the CDC, each year an estimated 80,000 Americans survive a hospitalization for traumatic brain injury (TBI) but are discharged with TBI-related disabilities. An estimated 5.3 million Americans are living today with a TBI-related disability. After brain trauma from an accident, brain cells die or become dormant from lack of oxygen. It is thought that many of these cells can be revived through hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The enormous amount of data supporting HBOT as a viable treatment for brain injury has prompted the passage of legislation in Texas that allows for HBOT for acquired brain injury to be paid for by Medicare and insurance.

See other applications HERE.

Here is another site that my HBOT RN friend thought would be interesting in relation to Terri’s case. The parents of George Melendez, a young man who sustained brain injury similar to Terri due to an auto accident and near-drowning (car landed in water and was submerged), have created a Tribute Website for him. I encourage you to read about George and his treatment with HBOT – again, not a cure-all, but it did improve his quality of life. At the home page, make sure you follow the “Special Update for Terri Schindler-Schiavo” link, too.

For those interested in a more detailed medical and physiological description of HBOT, I highly recommend Dr. Paul Harch's very detailed website on Hyperbaric Medicine.

For those with more interest and TONS of time to kill, check out this link to the Yahoo search engine for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Brain Injury.